Apparatus and methods for recordation of device history across multiple software emulations

• US 9,281,855 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2014
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Schell, Stephan V., Mathias, Arun
• Primary Examiner(s): Gelin, Jean
• Application Number:
  US14/188,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20140248924A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455/556.1, 455/556.2, 455/557, 455/558, 455/414.1, 455/432.1, 455/552.1, 455/412.1, 713/168, 713/193, 713/150, 713/156, 380/270, 726/5, 726/7, 726/8, 726/9, 711/111, 711/113, 711/115, 711/154, 711/206, 711/221
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/0246 in block erasable memory, e.g. flash memory
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/177 Smart card
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/7211 Wear leveling
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0604 Improving or facilitating administration, e.g. storage management
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0631 by allocating resources to storage systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0664 at device level, e.g. emulation of a storage device or system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/067 Distributed or networked storage systems, e.g. storage area networks [SAN], network attached storage [NAS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0679 Non-volatile semiconductor memory device, e.g. flash memory, one time programmable memory [OTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3816 Mechanical arrangements for accommodating identification devices, e.g. cards or chips; with connectors for programming identification devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/18 Selecting a network or a communication service
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/06 adapted for operation in multiple networks or having at least two operational modes, e.g. multi-mode terminals

Abstract

Apparatus and method for maintaining hardware history profiles for a software-based emulator. In one embodiment, the disclosed software-based emulator monitors the history of the actual hardware device in a secondary device history, the history of the emulated hardware is presented within a primary device history. However, the primary device history is linked to the secondary device history, and receives the device wear history therefrom. In another aspect of the present invention, wear-leveling strategies are disclosed for handling various update sizes. Unlike existing solutions which are optimized for a single SIM that receives small data updates; various embodiments of the present invention are suitable for handling varying data sizes.

Claims

1. A secure element, comprising:

an internal memory; and

a processor configured to cause the secure element to;

load an emulation program into the internal memory, wherein the emulation program maintains a history of transactions that take place within the internal memory;

store the history of transactions in an external memory; and

when a different emulation program is loaded into the secure element;

preload the history of transactions from the external memory for usage by the different emulation program.

2. The secure element of claim 1, wherein the secure element comprises an Electronic Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC).

3. The secure element of claim 1, wherein the emulation program comprises an Electronic Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM).

4. A method for tracking usage of a memory between different emulation programs, the method comprising:

loading an emulator with an emulation program, wherein the emulation program maintains, within a first device history, usage information for at least one hardware-specific attribute associated with the memory;

storing the usage information in a second device history; and

responsive to a request to load a different emulation program;

loading the emulator with the different emulation program, and

preloading, from the second device history, the usage information for the different emulation program.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the emulator comprises an Electronic Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC) that is contained within a secure element, and the usage information comprises wear-leveling information associated with the memory.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein each of the emulation program and the different emulation program comprises an Electronic Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM).

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the memory comprises a floating-gate transistor-based memory.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the floating-gate transistor-based memory comprises an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM).

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the floating-gate transistor-based memory comprises a flash memory.

10. The method of claim 4, wherein the usage information is stored within the first device history during operation of the emulation program.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

responsive to writing to the first device history, updating the second device history.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first device history is securely coupled to the second device history.

13. A wireless apparatus, comprising:

a memory;

a secure element, wherein the secure element includes an emulator configured to execute emulation programs that maintain usage information for hardware-specific attributes associated with the memory; and

a processor, configured to;

responsive to a request to load the emulator with an emulation program;

preload a first hardware-specific attribute from a first device history that corresponds to the emulation program; and

update the first hardware-specific attribute based on a second hardware-specific attribute that corresponds to the first hardware-specific attribute, wherein the second hardware-specific attribute is included in a second device history that corresponds to the first device history.

14. The wireless apparatus of claim 13, wherein the emulator comprises an Electronic Universal Integrated Circuit Card (eUICC).

15. The wireless apparatus of claim 13, wherein each of the emulation programs comprises an Electronic Subscriber Identity Module (eSIM).

16. The wireless apparatus of claim 13, wherein the memory comprises a floating-gate transistor-based memory.

17. The wireless apparatus of claim 16, wherein the floating-gate transistor-based memory comprises an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EEPROM).

18. The wireless apparatus of claim 16, wherein the floating-gate transistor-based memory comprises a flash memory.

19. The wireless apparatus of claim 13, wherein the secure element is further configured to execute a secure bootstrap operating system.

20. The wireless apparatus of claim 19, wherein the secure element executes from a virtualized address space that is mapped to the memory.